Agent Notebook: Mailbag Vol. 1

My very first mailbag for The Ice Garden as Director of Hockey Operations for Cook Stark Hockey! If you have any questions you want me to answer, comment below, or message me on X at strongforecheck. The landscape is exciting and ever-changing and I love to share snapshots of it with all of you. Make sure to follow Cook Stark Hockey on X and Instagram to keep up with the agency as well!

Has player pay/compensation improved in Europe since the start of the PWHL?

This will vary a lot from team to team but definitely a little! I will also say that even before the PWHL, the SDHL especially did a good job taking care of their players. SDHL teams almost always provide housing (which is way more convenient for players than a housing stipend), and teams in the Postfinance Women’s League often do as well. Some teams in the Postfinance Women’s League even provide a car for players to get around in, which is another thing I would love for PWHL teams to think about doing--having a relationship with a car rental company or something so that players who aren’t from the area or close enough to drive to it, have access to reliable transport. All that being said, I do think you can see a little bit of a ripple effect from the PWHL to increased resources in the Postfinance League and the Auroraliga (Finland) especially.